Congress moves to restore bank fee protections the CFPB quietly dropped
S.J.Res. 153 — A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to the withdrawal of the rule relating to "Bulletin 2022-06: Unfair Returned Deposited Item Fee Assessment Practices". · Filed by Ben Luján (D-NM) · Introduced Mar 26, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This resolution uses the Congressional Review Act to block the CFPB's 2025 decision to withdraw its 2022 guidance (Bulletin 2022-06) that warned banks against charging customers unfair fees when a deposited check bounces and is returned. By disapproving the CFPB's withdrawal, Congress would restore the 2022 bulletin's force, meaning banks would again face regulatory pressure not to charge customers these 'returned deposited item' fees. Ordinary bank customers — particularly those who deposit checks that later bounce — are the primary beneficiaries.
Why we flagged it
The resolution's functional effect is to restore CFPB guidance protecting consumers from a specific category of bank fee, making it a consumer financial protection measure rather than a procedural or deregulatory instrument.
What the text implies
- Bulletin 2022-06 was guidance, not a binding rule — its restoration may not carry the same legal enforcement weight as a formal regulation, leaving the practical consumer protection dependent on how aggressively the CFPB chooses to act on it.
- Banks that eliminated or reduced returned deposited item fees after the 2022 bulletin may face renewed compliance scrutiny, potentially prompting fee restructuring rather than elimination.
- If enacted, this resolution would bar the CFPB from reissuing the same withdrawal rule, but the agency could potentially pursue a new rulemaking to achieve a similar deregulatory outcome through a different procedural path.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Restoring Bulletin 2022-06 reinstates regulatory guidance that discouraged banks from charging customers fees when a deposited check bounces through no fault of the depositor, directly protecting ordinary bank customers — often lower-income individuals — from unexpected penalty fees.
Who stands to gain
- bank customers who deposit checks that are later returned
- low- and moderate-income consumers disproportionately subject to returned item fees
Named in the bill
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB), Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Senator Ben Ray Luján, Bulletin 2022-06
Where it stands
- Mar 26, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
- Mar 26, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,350 characters) on Apr 3, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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